ACAOSA STATEMENT: ATTACKS ON AFRICANS

The Association of Community Advice Offices of South Africa (ACAOSA) has noted with dismay, the series of unwarranted violent attacks on lives, properties and looting of businesses of fellow Africans from across the borders in different parts of the country. ACAOSA expresses its deepest condolences, sympathy and solidarity to all those who lost their lives and their families.

ACAOSA is mindful of the development challenges confronting us as a nation – the serious threat to life and dignity resulting from poverty, hunger, homelessness and joblessness, which is a call for renewed and innovate efforts at addressing these pressing challenges. It is only through a collective effort that we can ultimate defeat this threat just as we destroyed apartheid in solidarity with our brothers and sisters on the continent.

However, these attacks constitute an indictment on the spirit and values of the South African society, as enshrined in our Constitution. The Constitution which is the supreme law is unambiguous and firm in its recognition of the fundamental human rights of all those live within our borders. These rights include the right to life, the right to personal security, the right not to be unfairly discriminated against and certainly the right to human dignity.

ACAOSA condemns any violation of fundamental human rights in the strongest possible terms. It is all the more inexcusable when these acts are directed against vulnerable brothers, sisters and children from the continent and other defenceless people.

We must resist any attempt to destroy and affect the human dignity of others as it is a direct destruction of our own dignity as human beings. We, as a nation, should not forget and remain mindful of the damaging and perpetual effect of apartheid in violating our humanity for centuries.

ACAOSA, with a network of 312 community advice offices across the breadth and depth of the country, acts as an agent of justice for the marginalised and vulnerable within our society. ACAOSA encourages communities to unreservedly uphold the values of fairness and justice, which was born out of the struggle for liberation and freedom in our land. To ignore this, is to deny two decades of our democratic and human rights achievements.

ACAOSA notes the deficiences of policy in respect to dealing with immigration and socio-economic conditions.

ACAOSA accordingly calls on community members and government to use the platforms available within advice offices for creative dialogue to promote understanding among all our people, including those who come from beyond our borders and to promote respect for justice and the rights of all human beings.

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